Shuttle-driver for qui lti ng-mach ines



(No Model.)

7 A. BECK. SHUTTLE DRIVER FOR QUILTING MACHINES.

Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

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UNITED, STATES 'PATENT Erich.

AUGUST BECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,280. dated January 10, 1888.

Applicaton filed Juno 6, 1887. Serial No. 240.461. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, AUGUST BECK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Shuttle-Drivers for Quilting- Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the acshuttle-drivers for reciprocating the shuttles within the several horizontal sh uttleraces extended out from such races and attached to a laterally-reciprocatory horizontal shuttledriver bar, which is operated for the purpose of reciprocating the several shuttle-drivers.

The objects of myinvention are to render the working of the sh Little-drivers free, steady, and true under all circumstances; to provide for the shuttle drivers, bearings formed at both sides of their respectivelyallotted shuttleraces, and in a plane below the lowest point reached by the needles upon a downstroke of the needle'bar, thereby avoiding the necessity of narrowing the base portions of the shuttledrivers to make room for the descending needles, and hence overcoming the objectionable feature of imposing a limitation upon the width of bearings for the shuttle-drivers; to provide for the more ready attachment of the shuttle-drivers to the shuttle-driver bar, and the more ready and convenient detachment of the shuttle-drivers from said bar; to provide for the attachment of the shuttle-drivers to the shuttle-driver bar in a manner whereby, irrespective of any end shift or longitudinal displacement of the shuttle-driver bar, the shuttle-drivers may be attached to said bar at points directly in alignment with their allotted races, and to further provide certain improved and useful details, all tending to the general efficiency of quilting-machines.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

.of one of the shuttle-drivers.

one of the shuttle-drivers and a shuttle as the same will appear when introduced into the race, of which latter the figure may be said to represent one-half on a vertical plane taken longitudinally through the race. The shuttle-driver bar F is in this figure shown in crosssection. Fig. 3 mainly represents a top plan view of two of the shuttleraces with the shuttle-driver and shuttle introduced into one of said races. This view includes three of the plates or blocks (1, which may be arranged in series to provide certain intervening spaces adapted to serve as shuttleraces, it being understood that these blocks are in practice held together in any suitable way. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section through one of the shuttle-races on a plane indicated by line a: .90, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail representing in perspective the shuttle-holding end Fig. 6 is an elevation of the notched end of the movablejaw.

In said drawings, A indicates a portion of the main frame of a quiltingmachine. wherein the vertically-reciprocating needle-bar B, carrying a series of depending needles, I), is 'arranged above a series of shuttle-races, D.

The several shuttle-races D are parallel with one another, and are adapted to provide a series of horizontal guideways for the shuttles O and their drivers E,one shuttle with its driver being allotted'to each shuttle-race.

The shuttle-races may be formed by spaces intervening between the several plates or blocks d, which, when employed as herein shown, are to be arranged in series and adapted along their opposing vertical sides to modify the shape of the intermediate spaces in conformity with the required form of shuttlerace. The lower portions of the two sides of each shuttle-race may stand in parallel vertical planes; but to provide a suitable guideway IOG for the shuttle one of said sides may be grooved or concaved along its upper portion, as at d, in order to enlarge the upper portion of the space or passage in correspondence with the size and shape of shuttle employed. The side d of cach shuttle-race can, however, be formed entirely ona vertical plane, and will be provided with a vertical groove or needle-rmssage, d", which serves to permit the needle to be brought into co-opetative relationship with the shuttle, for the usual purpose.

The shuttle-driver comprises a straight flat bar or narrow plate, a, affording a base whereon the two slnittle-retaining fingers c and c are arranged. The liaise-plates e of the sluittle-drivers constitute slides, which can be applied to reciprocate in guideways formed along the lower portions of the blocks d. The guideways for the base-plates e of the sh uttledrivers are located to such extent below the guideways for the shuttles as will place them below thepossible reach ofthe needles, whereby upon a downstroke of the needle bar the needles will not descend to the level of the base-platcs of the shuttledrivers. This arrangement permits the basc-plale or base portion 0 of the sliuttle'driver to be made comparatively wide and to have a bearing extending to both sides of the shuttle-race, As a means for thus affording broad bearings for the shuttle-drivers, the space below the shuttle gnideway orrnce proper is of sufficient depth to admit of the horizontal guide-grooves d being formed in the blocks d on opposite sides of the passage or space and at a point where the base-plate c of the shuttle-driver, when re-, ceived in such grooves, will lie below the lowest point attainable by the needle.

The fingers e and c, which rise from the base portion 0 of each shuttle-driver, are of course of a height proportional to the distance to which the said base portion will lie below the guideway fora shuttle, in order that when the shuttledriver with its allotted shuttle is applied to a race the shuttle may be held within its guideway and between the two fingers, one of which is usually hook-shaped at its upper endto partially embrace theforward end portion of the shuttle, which at its rear or butt end may simply abut against the straight finger e.

The foregoirig-described provision of broad bearings for the shuttle drivers and the arrangement whereby such bearings may extend along opposite sides of theshuttle-races causes the shuttle-drivers to work steadily and accurate] y under all circumstances, notwithstanding any irregularity of movement or slight shift of position which might happen to the sluittledriver bar F, employed for reciprocating the shuttle-drivers.

The shuttle-driver bar F is arranged opposite the line of entrances to the shuttle-recess and is guided so that when operated it may reciprocate laterally to its length. Any suitable means may be employed for guiding the bar F and any suitable mechanism used for actuating the saine-as, for example, as herein shown,thc shuttle-driver bar F is reciprocated from a rock-shaft, G, carrying an upright arm, H, that is connected by a link, I, with the shuttle driver bar-it being understood that the arm and connection between the same and the shuttle driver bar will in practice be duplicated atthe opposite end of the rock shaft. The sh uttle-driver bar can also be guided by suitable guidepins, one of which, as at K, is shown passing through the eye of a lug, f, on the shuttle-driver bar and secured to the shuttle race bed or frame that is mainly composed of the blocks or pieces (Z.

As a means for readily attaching the shuttle-d rivers to the shuttle driver bar F, each shuitlc-driveris provided with aspring clutch or catch, M, provided with jaws suitable for engaging the shuttle-driver bar. The springcatch M herein shown compriscsa base-plate, m, provided with a fixed jaw, m, and aspringcontrolled lever, in, which is pivoted upon the base-plate m and provided with the movable jaw m. The base-plate in may be formed with the plate 0 of the slmttlc-carrier, but is more desirably made separate from and rigidly secured to such portion of the shuttle-driver, in which case the plate at may be provided with side flanges, m", for embracing the longitudinal side edges of the plate 6 of the shuttledrivcr. XVith such construction the flanges m" can each be provided with a tooth or shoulder, which two teeth or shoulders may be said to conjointly afford thefixed jaw m. The lever m is pivoted upon the plate 121, and at one end is bent down and notched to form the movable jaw, which receives the plate 0 in its squared notch in, and provides below the plate E a couple of lugs or teeth, serving to afford the movablejaw m". The plate 0 of the shuttle-driver is beveled along its longitudinal edges, and the jaws are correspondingly beveled, whereby the catch may have a reliable grip upon said plate ofthe shuttledriver.

The provision of a catch substantially of the nature of catch M at one end of each shuttledriver not only permits the ready attachment of the shuttle-drivers to the shuttledriver bar, but permits their ready removal, it being understood that if screws or the like were used as a means for attaching the shuttle-drivers to the shuttle-driver bar the removal of such screws would be extremely inconvenient, since in the complete quilting-machine certain clothrollers will stand in front of the shuttle-races, and hence render the use of a screw-driver a matter of some difficulty. Aside, however, from the feature of applicability and removability, it will be seen that the points at which the catches M engage the shuttle-driver barF are determined by the shuttle-races, and not by any determinate fixture on the shuttle-driver bar. Thus the catch M may, so far as the bar F is concerned, engage said bar at any point along its length. In this way, should the bar F become shifted longitudinally to any extent whatsoever, such change of position will in no wise affect the shuttle-drivers, since they can be first introduced into their allowed ways or races and then brought into engagement with the bar F at points directlyop-posite their respective entrances. This feature insures the free and steady Working of the shuttle-drivers and avoids such lateral pull on a shuttledriv'er as might cause it to bind in its guideway or race, it being Obvious that if it were necessary for a shuttle-race to engage bar F at but one fixed point on the latter any end shift on the part of said bar would tend to destroy the free working of the shuttle-driver, since the plate 0 of the latter would be caused to bind against one or the other of the sides of its allotted guideway to an extent proportional to. the end shift of the bar F.

As herein shown, the shuttle-races are desirably covered by a plate, over which the'eloth may pass.

Further details of a quilting-machine are omitted, as being Wellknown to those skilled in the art and in nowise necessary to the understanding of my improvement.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a quilting-machine, the combination, with the shuttle-race having a Way for the passage of the shuttle near its top and a way for theshuttle-driver base-plate near its bottom, said ways being connected by a passage for the supports of the shuttle, of the said shuttle,

base-plate of the driver, andyertical supports for the shuttle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a quilting-machine, the combination, with a shuttle-race, D, having ways 01* for the base-plate of the driver near the base of the race and a way for the shuttle near the top, of the shuttle-driver formed with a base-plate, 0, having vertical supports 6 and e for the shuttle fitted to work on a guideway, substantially as described, the catch at one end of the shuttle-driver, and the shuttle-driver bar F,.substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST BECK.

Witnesses: WILLIAM H. Lo'rz,

Ortro LUBKERT. 

